Sign-board.



No 890,681., PATENTEDJUNE 16, 1908. 3.. R. FITZGERALD $IGN BOARD.

APPLIOATIOH FILED MAY 20, 1907.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

gum/"tor,

I @Woznexg PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908:

Mammal,

J. R; FITZGERALD.

SIGN BOARD. APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1907.

2 SEEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses atmmu the spirit of my invention.

JOSEPH R. FITZGERALD, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

SIGN-BOARD Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1908.

Application filed May 20, 1907. Serial No. 374,670.

To'a'ZZ 0.071 not it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH. R. FITZGER- ALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sign Boards, of which the following is a specification, refer ence being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The present lnvention relates to slgn boards, and the object of the invention is to provide a sign board which can be readily handled and transported from one point to another; which can be easily and quickly set up; the size of which can be readily varied; which will be strong and durable; and which may be manufactured at a low cost.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and in certain parts and combinations hereinafter to be described, and then more fully pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sign board embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing such a sign board partially set up and showing the framework thereof.

In these drawings, I have illustrated the preferred form of my invention, and, .as there shown, the same consists of a plurality of sections formed of metal and adapted to be connected one to the other at their adjacent edges to form a continuous face or front surface upon which to place the sign, but, obviously, the construction of the sections and the material employed therein could be varied to a wide extent without departing from As here shown, each section 1 is constructed independently of the remaining sections and consists of upright vertical members 2, having rearwardly extending projections provided with means for connecting the same to the corresponding projections on theadjacent section. I prefor to construct these upright me'mbersof angle iron, each angle iron having one mem ber extending parallel with the face of the section and the other member extending rearwardly to form a flange 3, which is provided with suitable means for connecting the same to the corresponding flange on the adjacent section, the means here shown comprising a series of bolt holes 4 adapted to receive suit able bolts for securing the sections together. The upright members'2 are connected one to the other by means of suitable transverse bars 5, preferably extending longitudinally of the section and preferably provided wi.h a series of apertures 6.

l The front side .of each section is covered with a suitable facing material 7, sheet iron, which forms a firm, smooth surface uponwhich to place the sign- This covering is secured to the frame in any suitable manner, but I prefer to secure the same as here shown, which is by means ofbolts or rivets extending through the cover and through the apertures 6 in the transverse bars 5 of] the frame, This covering has its ends flush with the rearwardly extending member of the angle iron forming the end posts of the section, and, when the rearwardly extending members of the angle irons of two sections have been secured together, the edges of the covering or facing of the sections are brought together and form a close joint, thus providing a practically continuous sign board which may be made in any desiredlength by the addition or removal of the sections.

The several sections may be supported above the ground or other supporting surface in any suitable manner, but I prefer to provide a'series of supporting members 8, adapted to be secured to the supporting surface and to extend above the same with their forming the frame of each section are secured to the upper ends of the supporting members 8 in any suitable manner, but I prefer to form this connection by extending the lower ends preferably of the upright members 2 below the lower edge of thecoverlng 7 ,as shown at 9, and to I provide the same with a series of bolt holes 10 adapted'to register with a corresponding series of bolt holes l-l -in the upright members 8. In setting up a section, the extension 9 is connected to the member 8 by a single bolt extending through one of the holes 10 in the member 9 and through the corresponding hole 11 in the member 8, thus forming a piv' otal connection between the section and the sup orting member 8 and enabling the same to e readily raised to a vertical position where it is firmly secured by passing bolts through the remainder of the holes 10 and 11. The second section is mounted in the same manner, and, when the same has beensei cured in a vertical position, the adjacent flanges formed by the rearwardly extending members of the angle irons are firmly secured together, thus uniting the two sections into what is practically a single sign board. If desired, a plurality of supporting members 8 may be provided for each section, or, as here .shown, the adjacent u right members 2 of adjoining sections may e secured to a single su porting member 8. I

n small-signsthe supporting members 8 will usually be sufficient to maintain the same in the desired position, but where the sign is ofconsiderablesize, it is desirable that the between the brace 12 and the upright member 2 at apoint beneath the point of connection of the brace 12 with said upright member. This auxiliary brace. 15 is preferably connected to the upright member2 or to the brace 12 by a pivotal connection which may be formed by the use of a single connecting bolt. .Thus, both the brace 12 and the auxiliary brace 15 can be folded flat against the rear of the section when the same is to be transported from onepoint to another.

While I prefer to construct the entire sign board of metal, roviding the frame and braces of suitable iron bars and the covering or facing of sheet metal, it will be readily apparent that the sections could be constructed of other material.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provided a sign board which can be readily transported from one point to another; which can be readily assembled and placed in the desired position; the size of whlch can be varied to accommodate the same to various conditions; which can be produced at aloW cost; and which, when set up, will provide a strong, durable construction which will not be easily broken down or destroyed. I

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of con.- struction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A sign board of'the character described comprising a plurality of separable sections having corresponding rearwardly extending projections on their adjacent ends, means for securing said projections one to the other,

and means for supporting said sections in an upright position.

2. A section fora sign board of the characteridescribed comprising a frame, consisting of upright end membersformed of an le irons, having one flange extending parallel with said frame and the other flange extending at right angles thereto, transverse mem bers extending-betweensaid u right 1'nembers and secured to the rear si e of the firstmentioned flange, and a covering of facing material extendlng over the front of said frame and secured to said upright members and to said transverse members.

3. A sign board of the character described comprising aframe, asupporting member adapted to be secured to the supporting surface, andmeans for pivotally connecting said frame to said supporting member.

4. A sign board of the character described comprising a frame, a supporting member adapted ,to be secured to the supporting surface, means. for pivotally connecting saidv frame to said supporting member, and.

adapted to be secured to the supporting surface, means for pivotally connecting said frame to said supporting member, and a brace pivotally connected at one end to said frame and secured at its opposite end to the supporting surface.

6. A sign board of the character described comprising a frame, a supporting member adapted to be secured to the supporting surface, means for pivotally connecting said frame to said supportingmember, a brace pivotally connected at one end to said frame and secured atits opposite end to the supporting surface, and an auxiliary brace extending between said first-mentioned brace and said frame.

Intestimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH It. FITZGERALD.-

Witnesses:

W. F, FITZGERALD, F. L. KILROY. 

